Reactions as Hip-Hop pioneer Doreen Broadnax dies at 61, family, fans mourn
The music industry has been thrown into mourning following the death of American hip-hop artist and rapper Doreen Broadnax, popularly known as Sparky D.
The pioneering rapper passed away in July at the age of 61, and her family announced the sad news in a statement shared online.
The music star was widely known for her battle rap skills during the early years of her career. In 1984, she released the diss track Sparky's Turn (Roxanne You're Through) in response to 14-year-old rapper Roxanne Shanté's Roxanne's Revenge.
The song reportedly sold more than 300,000 copies within days of its release and later earned a gold certification.
Despite her success, Sparky D struggled with addiction, which had a significant impact on both her personal life and career.
In a past interview, the singer revealed that she had survived domestic abuse, battled substance addiction and, at one point in her life, worked as a call girl.
Her life story later inspired elements of the Netflix film Roxanne, Roxanne. After overcoming her addiction, Sparky D embraced Christianity and reconnected with her faith.
She left secular music behind to focus on gospel rap and won the Gospel Choice Award in 2007 for her song This Is for the Church.
In her later years, she devoted herself to performing gospel hip-hop and speaking about faith, healing, and relationships until her passing. Here is the Instagram post announcing Sparky D's death:
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